DAY AND NIGHT

And the fourth angel sounded. … and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

—Rev. 8:12

IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, DAYS WOULD BE SHORTENED AND NIGHTS LENGTHENED.

975 The Longest Night

The longest night in history was Sept. 2, 1752, when the Gregorian calendar was adopted in England. The calendar arranged by Julius Caesar, by not making sufficient allowance for leap year, had caused the English date to become 11 days behind the right time. Those days were omitted after Sept. 2, so the next day was reckoned as Sept. 14.

976 Atlantic Coast’s Premature Nightfall

At ten o’clock in the morning of May 19, 1780, people in the Eastern Seaboard noticed a strange haze spreading across the sky. Then a thick darkness settled over the eastern part of the US.

By noon, schools were dismissed, candles lit, and torches set in the streets. Birds went to roost. By one o’clock in the afternoon, fear had turned into panic as the “premature nightfall” continued. Thousands crowded into churches to hear ministers expound on the Day of Judgment.

In Hartford, Connecticut, both houses of the legislature were meeting, but one of them quickly dismissed since its members thought the world would end at any moment.

The other body continued, although greatly distressed. One man finally made a motion to disband, since the day of reckoning was thought to have come. Immediately, Mr. Davenport, a Christian, objected, saying, “Mr. Speaker, this is either the Day of Judgment or it is not. If it is not, there is no need for adjourning. If it is, I desire to be found doing my work. I move that candles be brought in and that we proceed to business.” The meeting went on.

977 Concept Of “Day” Around World

While we usually think of dawn as the beginning of a new day, it is not actually the case, except in certain countries.

The day begins at sunset with the Jews, Athenians, Chinese, Mohammedans, Italians, and Bohemians; at sunrise with the Babylonians, Syrians, Persians, and modern Greeks; at noon with ancient Egyptians and modern astronomers; at midnight with the English, French, Dutch, German, Portuguese, and Americans.

978 The Longest Shadow

The longest shadow on earth is believed to be that cast by El Piton Peak on Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands. This was also the site of the worst aviation crash in history in 1977 when two giant Boeing 747s crashed into each other on the runways and over 570 lives were lost.

El Piton Peak rises abruptly 12,200 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, and at sunrise and sunset produces a shadow nearly 150 miles in length.

979 “Light The Night” Campaign

The mayor of Toronto launched a “Light the Night” campaign. The idea was for residents to leave their lights burning overnight in order to discourage crime. A similar campaign was carried out in the Oakland, California, area, and reports show that crime was greatly reduced—in fact, reduced fantastically.

See also: Light and Darkness ; Moon ; Sun.